Closer inspection (visual and especially feel) found that some of the studs (center ones)were noticeably less sharp, probably from pavement wear, and this seemed to make the difference.

The center ones are worn but the outer ones are still plenty pointy, and at 15psi all the studs are in contact.

I laid the bike down again on the way home. I knew it was coming so I managed to stay standing, but the bike ended up on the ground. That got me thinking about how this ice could possibly be extra hard? Then I realized that I'm not riding on magic ice - I'm riding on Pykrete.

(for fans of wartime hijinks the link is totally worth a click)

It's obviously not Pykrete, but for now I will choose to believe that some fluke occurrence has led to the creation of super ice.

It's obviously not Pykrete, but for now I will choose to believe that some fluke occurrence has led to the creation of super ice.

You are probably right...not all ice is alike... I recall that ice skates will not work if it is too cold as they need a liquid layer between the blade and the ice...if it is warmer you may be getting "optimal" sliding

How was your commute today?

This mornings commute was great. 18 miles through well lit city streets at 0530. Went off without a single problem. Coming home, on the other hand, was insane. Fighting crazy ass last minute Christmas shoppers for the bike Lane was the last thing I wanted to do after working a mandatory Saturday. And, I stupidly
skipped lunch, which meant I bonked 12 miles in to the ride. I had to call the wife.

On the other hand, it provided me the opportunity to have a nice conversation with a homeless fella at the CVS and about his goals to move back to California and straighten his life out. Seemed fruitful.

Bourbon: Because no good story ever started with "So, there we were eating salads".

So I took a few pictures to share while mounting my snow tires last weekend, but I'm just now getting around to posting them. Gave the bike a quick wipe down where it looked really grungy, took off the fenders for the winter, finally mounted my air pump on the frame rather than throwing it in my bag, and of course mounted the snow tires.

Regarding the tires, I'd say the rolling resistance is surprisingly good. I haven't had a hell of a lot of snow/ice time on them yet (the temperature rose sharply late last week), but disregarding the ~6" of heavy snow that apparently nobody does well in, they've been okay so far. Average speed is about 13-15 MPH vs. 16-20 MPH with the regular tires, and I'll probably get faster as I get used to the tires since I took about a week and a half off while they came in. The biggest negative I have about them is that the QC seems exceedingly poor. There's a number of splits in the bead edge that sits against the rim, placed right about where the edge of the rim sits. None go all the way through, and the tire doesn't flex in a direction to exacerbate the splits, but they still bother me.

Also, went to hop on the bike the night after my first ride in on the snows to find that the tube had exploded with enough force to unmount the tire all the way around the rim. I took a picture of it since I've only one other time seen a tube so mangled.

I took this coming week off in its entirety, but I'm still thinking about riding in to work tomorrow morning just because I haven't been getting all that much done over the weekend. I think something's seriously wrong with me.

Hi, Sanath. I'm curious why you removed your fenders for winter. I find even more nasty stuff being slung around during winter, and it's when I need them the most. Partially, because my studded tires are knobby, and might fling a bit more snow than slicks.

I had trouble with my P.B. Cascadia (plastic) fenders with mud-flaps, because the snow would acquire up in there and really slow me down. When I switched to stainless, without the mud-flaps, the edge is able to "cut" the snow off at the start, and not allow it to get all packed. It's been working out amazingly well, and really keeps me and the bike clean. I can't imagine riding through the slush without them.

Drove in this morning, since I will likely have to run home at some point to meet the insurance adjuster. Our sump pump line got clogged somehow and our entire basement was under 4-6 inches of water, depending on the spot. I had fun cleaning things out yesterday and getting blowers going. Fortunately, the basement is unfinished and it doesn't look like we lost anything of value. If things are ruined, our insurance should cover them. We'll see...

Been keeping a low profile, the rides have been cool (~40*ish) but uneventful. Saw this one at work when I was leaving this am. Since this was at the employee parking bike rack, gotta think it was somebody's commuter.
It's the tassels that do it for me.

The ridiculousness of cycling clothes increase exponentially in relation to the distance from your bicycle.

Drove in this morning, since I will likely have to run home at some point to meet the insurance adjuster. Our sump pump line got clogged somehow and our entire basement was under 4-6 inches of water, depending on the spot. I had fun cleaning things out yesterday and getting blowers going. Fortunately, the basement is unfinished and it doesn't look like we lost anything of value. If things are ruined, our insurance should cover them. We'll see...

Seriously? Neg rep for this?

Oh, and just to rub it in a bit more. My garage saw a bunch of water too. I'm going to have to dry out my bike pumps and various parts that were in boxes on the floor.

Have a safe trip, I'll wave if I see more crazies than usual! Are you driving in your stolen car or is that lost cause?

Unfortunately, I'm stock with a cheap Chrysler van now, only van the rental place could provide. Last time we heard about our car, it most likely was involved in a mafia killing that took place about 30 miles north last week. I don't think we'll see it ever again. Now we have our eyes on a GMC Acadia AWD, waiting on the insurance company to pay us.

Not sure about the Canuks, but weather was sure crazy on the highways, lost of heavy mist, ice rain, snow, etc. We're spending the night in Burlington and getting back home tomorrow morning.

Originally Posted by NicoleB28

topless. that's what all mtb girls do. we go ride, get topless, have pillow fights in the woods, scissor, then ride home!

I almost didn't want to ride in the wet today after cleaning up my bike this weekend, but I got over it. Ride was fine but wet from puddles and some rain. I dodged the bullet with the ice storm this weekend and got mostly rain. Some others, further north in VT were not as lucky, and some will not have power for Xmas . The airport in Burlington also closed. A couple vids from the local news...

Saw the apehanger fatbike again this morning, and the bars have got to have at least 2’ rise if not closer to 3’. I think the rider might be a woman (tough to tell with the winter gear) and their hands were up above their chin. So very strange.

It was -5F all weekend, but had warmed up to above freezing tonight for the ride home. I'd planned to go to work tomorrow, but am probably going to take a vacation day instead to enjoy the nice weather.

Hi, Sanath. I'm curious why you removed your fenders for winter. I find even more nasty stuff being slung around during winter, and it's when I need them the most. Partially, because my studded tires are knobby, and might fling a bit more snow than slicks.

I had trouble with my P.B. Cascadia (plastic) fenders with mud-flaps, because the snow would acquire up in there and really slow me down. When I switched to stainless, without the mud-flaps, the edge is able to "cut" the snow off at the start, and not allow it to get all packed. It's been working out amazingly well, and really keeps me and the bike clean. I can't imagine riding through the slush without them.

Well, a couple of reasons, most of them wrong.

First, I wasn't sure they'd fit. I'm actually a major cycling noob and I've never actually seen a 40c tire in person, so I wasn't sure how wide it'd be, and I assumed they would be too wide. I think they'd fit, in hindsight, though with how I cut the stays I'm not sure I have enough adjustment to get the clearance I need.

Second, I was concerned about how low the fender/mudflap sits. It's only about an inch or two off the ground and would just scoop up snow. I don't know how often I'll ride snow deep enough to be problematic, I suspect not often. I don't have the spare cash to switch to a different/shorter fender, though, nor is my mud flap detachable, to my knowledge (SKS Longboard fenders). This is sort of up in the air, it'll be really annoying if I get stuck in deepish snow, but not so much if I spend my whole winter going through shallow stuff (or just riding on bare road/trail).

Third, frankly, I'd forgotten how damn messy it is to ride without fenders.

I may try to fit them back on soonish, if I feel adventurous. I may zip tie a piece of cardboard to the underside of my rear rack. Time will tell.

Second, I was concerned about how low the fender/mudflap sits. It's only about an inch or two off the ground and would just scoop up snow. I don't know how often I'll ride snow deep enough to be problematic, I suspect not often. I don't have the spare cash to switch to a different/shorter fender, though, nor is my mud flap detachable, to my knowledge (SKS Longboard fenders). This is sort of up in the air, it'll be really annoying if I get stuck in deepish snow, but not so much if I spend my whole winter going through shallow stuff (or just riding on bare road/trail).

I agree about the mudflaps. They work great in the rain, but they don't work at all for snow, because they flex and allow all the snow to get packed inside the fenders, and "burn" your tires and slow you down to a crawl. My solution was Stainless fenders WITHOUT flaps, so the "sharp" edge of the fenders "cuts" all the snow off at the helm, and keeps my wheels spinning freely.

How was your commute today?

Never a dull moment. Was coming to a light and began to shift down for a good push off gear when it turned green, and had some nasty chain suck. That pulled the rear derailleur into my moving spokes, which proceeded to break the hanger and twist the derailleur. So, I'll be swinging by the LBS and picking up a hanger and used derailleur on my lunch break.

Bourbon: Because no good story ever started with "So, there we were eating salads".

Just curious, did this LBS install, or set up your bike, to begin with? If so, I'd say this nasty disintegration of components is THEIR fault. It's from an improperly adjusted rear derailleur. You could have broken spokes, if the chain sucked off at the big cog, or a bad accident and injury from chain suck in general. This is unacceptable.

I doubt anyone would be readily willing to accept blame for improperly setting the derailleur stops, and I guess they could say you messed with it after it left the shop. Bicycles are just to dangerous to trust other people with, IMHO. I don't know your situation, so I'm just speculating, but seriously, this is messed up. I suspect the LBS selling replacement parts to fix this will be earning profits from your wallet. I could be paranoid, but it seems they'd have a monetary motive to be a bit careless about precise adjustments of derailleurs. I wonder how much of their profits are from customer's chain suck repairs?

Cables stretch, and need periodic adjustments of the derailleur stops by minute increments, but it is part of routine maintenance. I'm glad you didn't crash, or break spokes, and the silver lining is that you can upgrade your components at this time.

I guess technically, it could be from too flexy chainstays (then you need a new frame to fix the problem), - as I've had "ghost shifting" from a cheap aluminum fame before, but never full-on chain-suck, with the derailleur's over-travel stops set up right.

How was your commute today?

No, I installed the hanger. I'm still very much a newbie at this. I watched a few videos on YouTube and figured I was competent enough to do it, since I'm mechanically inclined, but still wet behind the ears when it comes to bikes.

This is a learning experience, from there I'll grow and eventually, laugh at the frustrating and sometimes painful beginnings of my commuting lifestyle.

Bourbon: Because no good story ever started with "So, there we were eating salads".

No, I installed the hanger. I'm still very much a newbie at this. I watched a few videos on YouTube and figured I was competent enough to do it, since I'm mechanically inclined, but still wet behind the ears when it comes to bikes.

This is a learning experience, from there I'll grow and eventually, laugh at the frustrating and sometimes painful beginnings of my commuting lifestyle.

RESPECT. That's how you do it. It's expensive to learn from mistakes, but worth it too. Glad you're doing it yourself, more power to ya.

The roads were nice and quiet with the shopping over and some people not working today. The bike was not as quiet as the roads , with some squeaks that likely resulted from it sitting in my car a couple days without being cleaned up/lubed. Also less than quiet was a dog in a passing car that barked really loud in my ear and made me jump.

Back to work tonight after a five day weekend, mostly spent with my wife`s cousins in southern CA. Was registered for a New Years 200K in the Sacramento area, but I think I`m going to bug out on it- want to spend that night with my bropther-in-law, who`s getting ready to move out of the area. Besides that, I was already looking at the route and wondering how I could possibly survive it after a few months of hardly any riding.

Originally Posted by Texan-n-Fla

This is a learning experience, from there I'll grow and eventually, laugh at the frustrating and sometimes painful beginnings of my commuting lifestyle.

You`ll get it, just had some bad luck on the last round. FWIW, cable stretch will affect indexing, but I don`t see how it could affect derailler limit stops. My guess is either limits set wrong to begin with or something bending. When you se the limits, it`s best to do without the cable hooked up (maybe you did that anyway).

I think the derailleur was already bent a little, not enough to be noticeable at a glance, but enough to screw things up. I've got an older Acera RD lying around that will shift well enough for my needs. I think that after a good scrub and oiling, that RD should work like new.

I'm using this as an opportunity to go through everything, make sure this new bike is up to par. Fun stuff.

Bourbon: Because no good story ever started with "So, there we were eating salads".

How was your commute today?

Damn, and I thought I had a rough ride in. I broke my collar bone playing football back in high school, and it was pretty horrible. Praying for a quick and full recovery. Hope you'll be back on the bike soon enough.

Bourbon: Because no good story ever started with "So, there we were eating salads".

Yes, those 2 parts use to be connected. This is my second collar bone break. My first was in high school too. This one seems to be in a better place. They don't do anything except put it in a sling. Supposedly they heal up OK. I'll be off the bike for a at least a few weeks, best case and off the trails for probably a month or more. I might try some road commuting once it heals enough to be out of the sling. The fatbike race 1 month from today is probably a no-go but maybe I'll be feeling good enough to drop back to the short race for fun.

With nearly seventy degree weather in Vegas today, I had to make it to Blue Diamond for a good mt. bike ride. Been trying to make it there since Monday. Too many Christmas distractions.

Interesting riders today. Saw my first cross-bike up there ever. Drop bars and skinny tires don't look natural in that setting. Saw a kid on a full suspension Walmart Next bike. He seemed to be tearing it up with his buddy on a Haro. Then I saw some lady in heels and a mini skirt on a bike from the Blue Diamond rental shop. Maybe not heels--more like tall wedges. Other than those brief encounters, mainly had the trails to myself.

Suffered mightily though with too much eating over the Holidays and too little riding. Amazing how quickly your fitness digresses. I did my eight mile loop and called it quits and glad to do so. On some ambitious days I can do twenty-five or more without breaking a sweat. Not a chance in hell today. . .

Re: How was your commute today?

Originally Posted by vegascruiser

Suffered mightily though with too much eating over the Holidays and too little riding. Amazing how quickly your fitness digresses. I did my eight mile loop and called it quits and glad to do so. On some ambitious days I can do twenty-five or more without breaking a sweat. Not a chance in hell today. . .

I found this out yesterday. Between holiday travel and other parts of life my first ride in a month was yesterday. That made me really tired and I lost 4mph on my average.

In other unrelated news I finally finished my truck. Now it will sell. It went from this
To this. Wish I could keep it around but it was fun while it lasted.

I gotta get back to riding more often. The weather has been great but the holidays always find a way to get busy.

Yes, I took 3 days off work this week so haven't been on the bike since Xmas Eve. Sure, Monday is going to hurt, but I've needed the relax and rest time. It's good for the body and the soul. Will be back to the grind come Monday.

Bedwards...hope that heals up, does not look enjoyable. Get well soon!

How was your commute today?

No commute, since I put in some overtime at our sister office 20 miles away. Although, I did load up the bike into the back of the work truck and took down Legacy Trail on my lunch hour. Thanks to the hybrid, my average speed is about 18 mph, so I was able to go the full length without pushing my time restraints. It was nice to be able to get that in without going too far out of my way.

Bourbon: Because no good story ever started with "So, there we were eating salads".

I technically just paid a visit to my barber today for a haircut and a beard trim. Took me awhile to find a barber that I like, but now that I have, I'll be visiting John on a regular basis. Good conversation, great haircuts, clean business.

I had to rush home afterwards, because I had an appointment to sell a vintage mtb for my sister this afternoon. I might have been able to get more for it if I wanted to put the work into overhauling everything and making it all shiny and new-looking. But meh. The guy who bought it wanted a winter project. Some of the parts will go onto his kid's first 26er. If I didn't have that appointment, I'd have added a few miles onto the ride this afternoon.

The weather was awesome. I wore a far too heavy jacket, so my arms got really sweaty. Otherwise, temps were great. Didn't need warm gloves. Didn't need head covering. It was beautifully sunny. The cars were mostly on their best behavior. Only problems I had with cars were with parked ones. I passed by some kind of biker bar/motorcycle gang hangout that was packed, and a lot of them were parked IN the bike lane, forcing me into traffic lanes for about a block. Thankfully, traffic was extremely light in the area, and I had no trouble. That's one situation where I DEFINITELY knew to keep my mouth shut and keep going, but I did consider reporting all the illegal parking jobs to the police. Unfortunately, I didn't want to stop anywhere in that neighborhood for long enough to talk on the phone. If I notice it becoming a regular "thing" over there when I'm passing through, I'll make it an issue to the police. Ride with my GoPro so I can submit evidence without stopping in that area.

Downward trend : (

I first counted my mileage for 2009 on the Commuting Miles thread (didn`t write it down that year), started recording it at least monthly in 2010. Each year from `09 through `12 showed an increase. 2012 was a landmark for me in two ways- for one, I finally made a full calander year with zero motorized commutes, and it was also the first year to break thet 4000 mile mark. In early fall of this year I looked at my mileage and saw it was a few hundred below last year at the same point, thought it was unlikely I would make it up. In late September, I drove to work, ending a 2.5 year streak. Just today I added up my odometers and see I`m at 3906. I`d be hard pressed to match 2012`s mileage even if I were on vacation for the remainer of the year. As is, I`m working tonight, so probably sleeping through a lot of tomorrow, and my wife and I are "doing" this year`s dinner for her family on Tues, so that`s pretty much tied up. I`ll get 7 commute miles for tonight`s shift, leaving me with whatever I have of tomorrow after sleeping and Monday pre-nap (working that night) to work in about 90 miles. I really don`t feel like it, but two hits is bad enough, and it`s really going to hurt if I fall back out of "the fours". I`m not sure I`ll be able to drag myself out and knock out some miles. Guess I`ll find out.

I work away from my wife and kids for 2 weeks at a time, so when I am home for the weekend, and with it being Xmas, I've not been on a bike properly since the 10th December. My commute starts again on the 6th Jan, and I already know that I'll be feeling it!

Hoping that the nice upgrades I got for Xmas will make things easier when I get back in the saddle... Although I'll leave the new gopro off until I get back up to spare my blushes!

2012 was a landmark for me in two ways- for one, I finally made a full calendar year with zero motorized commutes, and it was also the first year to break the 4000 mile mark. In early fall of this year I looked at my mileage and saw it was a few hundred below last year at the same point, thought it was unlikely I would make it up. In late September, I drove to work, ending a 2.5 year streak. Just today I added up my odometers and see I`m at 3906.

That's a lot of pedaling, kudos either way! I'm at about 2300 miles based on what I entered in Endomondo, which I think is pretty close to accurate.

My overall mileage for the year is disappointing, but I have to realize that I only started commuting a short while ago, and it being a 16 mile round trip, the miles won't add up that quickly. A few years ago, I racked up 2000+ only on trails on my mtb. I felt that it was pretty impressive to ride that many miles on dirt. I am hoping to hit at least that many on the road in 2014 riding to work and on the weekends.

Kudos to everyone for commuting to work.

The pedals turn, not just the left one, but the right one too.
2015 miles: 5019/5000
2016 miles: 4020/6000

Had a redemption mt. bike ride in Blue Diamond this morning. Felt good and belted out 15+ miles, which made me feel better after Friday's dismal performance.

As for 2013 commuting miles, I got right around 2000. One New Year's resolution is to get at least 3000 in 2014. We'll see. . .declaring a resolution is one thing but living it is something entirely different of course.